The start of the summer saw Hare Street Community Primary School host the Garden Town’s first ever Play Street event in Harlow.
Organised with active travel charity Sustrans, it gave children an opportunity to play freely outside the school gates in a safe and fun environment.
And with a new school term underway, Hare Street headteacher, Neil Coster, explains why outdoor learning and activities are just as important as a classroom education.
Moving children out of the classroom and into open spaces to learn is so important because we live in such a screen-driven society now.
It is so pivotal because I really believe a lot of children have lost those essential play skills, the kind that come from just being outside, being active, and being involved in real-world activities.
Since the pandemic there’s been a noticeable shift. There’s more reliance on the home, and I think many parents in school communities aren’t always sure how to access things like cycling programs, Bikeability, or even the sports and performing arts opportunities we offer here at Hare Street.
It’s so crucial because we don’t just want to teach children at Hare Street, we want to school them in the fullest sense.
If we only focus on academics, we risk losing a lot of them.
With Harlow becoming a Garden Town, you can’t help but reflect on how different things were a few decades ago. Infrastructure like cycle tracks, green spaces and kids playing in the street were a part of everyday life.
And I know that firsthand because I was born and brought up in Harlow. I’m third generation, my grandparents moved here in the 50s, and I grew up cycling those tracks, from Harefield near Pennymead Tower to Tany’s Dell where I went to school.
We did a piece of work with the children at Hare Street recently and I was genuinely surprised to find that some of our Year 6 pupils can’t ride a bike and I couldn’t quite compute that. I can understand swimming to a degree. But not riding a bike? That hit differently.
Because riding a bike isn’t just about transport, it’s also a social tool.
It’s how you play out with your friends, how you explore your world. And if kids aren’t doing that, it says something about how their lives have changed.
Harlow has this incredible network of cycle paths and green spaces. It was such a pivotal part of my childhood and I’d love for today’s children to experience that same freedom and connection.
What children really want is to enjoy their community. They want things to do—things that occupy their minds, spark their interests, and give them a sense of belonging.
That’s absolutely crucial because when kids are engaged in something positive, they’re more likely to steer away from negative influences and more likely to connect with others in meaningful ways.
We’re fortunate to serve a very centralised community at Hare Street which brings real benefits in terms of how our pupils travel to school.
Compared to other schools I’ve worked at, far fewer parents here rely on cars for drop-offs.
Instead, we see a high number of children cycling, scooting, or walking in each day.
We’ve built a strong culture around physical activity, it’s a core part of our school identity. Beyond our work with Sustrans, who ran a Play Streets event with HGGT here in May, we’re also actively engaged with Bikeability and other partners who support active travel and sport.
As Chair of the Harlow School Sports Partnership, I’m proud of the collaborative work we’re doing across the area.
A great example is the Cycling Festival held at Church Langley School in May this year, which brought schools together to celebrate and promote cycling.
All of this helps ensure our pupils are not only active but also aware of the opportunities and benefits that come with sustainable travel and physical wellbeing.
Having that kind of environment in our town is wonderful, it has been a huge part of my life and of the generation I grew up with.
And I truly hope it becomes just as wonderful for the children growing up in Harlow today.
